Metal bin



37 33 INVENTOIL 32 -ff Wa//f /f /ayes July 25, 1950 w. R. HUGHES 2,516,122

' METAL BIN Filed sept. 2o, 1945 l s sneets-sheet 1 July z5, 195o w. R. HUGHES 2,516,122

METAL BIN 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 20, 1945 SZ 7/;\\\` \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\&\\\\\\\\\W\\m\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 2 5 V f s@ Y Jlly 25, 1950 w. R. HUGHES 2,516,122

METAL BIN Fledsept. 20, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 y INVENTOR.

Wa//er /7/QE5 Patented July 25, 1950 DIETAL BIN Walter R. Hughes, Cleveland, Ohio, `assignor to Hope Metal Products Co., Cleveland, Ohio,a

copartnership Application September 20, 1945, Serial N o. 617,556

claims. (oren-184) .l This invention relates to sheet metal 'bins oi the class in which a stock of automotive and other equipment parts, repair parts, tools, and articles of merchandise generally, are stocked in separated labeled compartments, or bins and in systematic arrangement, for `ready access.

Such bins comprise generally a walled cabinet, usually open at the front, with shelves that can be adjusted to different distancesapart vertically; and a number of partitions or .dividers on each shelf that can .be adjusted todifferent distances apart along the shelf; whereby the cabinet may be divided up into a `great number of bins of `different sizes, corresponding to the sizes of the articles to @be .contained in them and corresponding to the quantity of each article .on hand.

In the development of this art, various struetural Vfeatures Ahave `been devised, vto `facilitate ythe adjustment of the size of the individual .bi-ns, .so that the size can be .initially preselected orV changed from time to time, quickly and conveniently. Experience has shown that the `most important adjustment is that forinitially selecting, or from time to time changing, the width vof the bins, that is, the Vnumber of the bins along a shelf, by selectivelypositioning -the partitions or dividers.

Efforts have been made to :provide .shelves .and shelf dividers of such construction that the Adividers -can ,be `moved along the shelf and .secured in selected ,positions `Without the use vof tools. But all such .proposals heretofore made of which I `have vknowledge have been Aobjectionable because .they have provided ,for securing ,the dividers in only a limited number of predetermined positions along the shelf, thereby prescribing within limits the Width which .the .compartments or` bins can have, as well.as the ,number of bins possible to a shelf.

Among the `objects ,of the invention are:

To provide a `ibin cabinet of the class ,referred to in which the Vpossible vpositions of vthe .shelf dividers along the shelf are not predetermined but in which 'the .shelf dividers can be moved alongthe shelf to .any desired position whatever and 'secured thereat.

To provide an improved construction of shelf and divider cooperating 'in a manner to provide unrestricted adjustment of the divider Valong the shelf, and secure 'attachment of 'the `divider to the shelf after adjustmentof its position.

To 'provide in a .cabinetof the class ,referred to, an 'improved vconstruction of shelf for the purposes mentioned above.

.Toprovide an improved .construction of divider for kthe :purposes mentioned above.

To provide a shelf and divider construction lhaving an improved mode of operation.

friction; and may be detached by simply lifting .one end of it; and, after .moving it along the shelf to the desired position, may be 'reattached by depressing the lifted end; and 'by'vvhich the attaching engagement between the divider and the shelf thus effected is ,such as to prevent' the divider from slipping, tipping, or becoming askew.

"Io provide an adjustable bin cabinet of the class refer-red to and having the ,features vabove mentioned, and comprising 'simplifications of structure which reduce its' cost of manufacture and at the same time facilitate the adjustment of the dividers. f

Other objects will vbe apparent to those skilled in the art to Whicnthe 'invention apper'tains,

The 'invention is fully disclosed in the following description taken ,in connection with the ,accompanying drawing, in which;

.Fg. V1 is `a perspective view of a fragment of .a bin cabinet embodying my invention and showing two kinds of shelf dividers;

Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken approximately from the plane 2-2 of Fig. l, to show in side elevation the construction of a divider ,and the cooperating ,parts 'of ya' shelf;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view with parts v,broken away taken from the plane 3-3 of Fig. ,1.J but with certain dividers of Fig. .1., moved'closer together;

Fig. 4 is a ysectional view .taken from vthe plane 4 .of Fig. 2; Y

Fig. 51s a perspective viewer a shelf divider such as yI may employ .and as shown in the preceding figures;4

Figs. Gand `and 7 are viewssimilar to Fig. 5 showing modifications; L

Fig. 8 .isa View, .with parts broken-away, similar to Fig. .2 but showinginodications.

In Eig. `1 .of the drawing, I .have `illustrated `in perspective a vfragment of .a ;bin cabinet .embody-ing .my invention, this fragmentary .showing being sufficient for those .skilled `-in the art to understand the invention, in view -of the Epres-y ent state of development of .the art.

There is shown at I a right hand end Wall, the .correspond-ing similar lefthand ,end Wall being broken avvia/y, .but being shown lat 2 `in the sectional view Fig. .3. 4Att-3 .isshowna .back wall .connected to ,the .end'walls by anysuitable construction no tshown. At yil,.5,,a1`f1d .6, are three shelves; it being understood that there .may be any suitable or desired number, and to make this evident, another shelf, 1, has been shown in Fig. 3. At 8, 9, and I are shown three dividers on the shelf 6 at different adjusted distances apart; and at are two dividers of another type on the shelf (it being understood that there may be any suitable or desired number of dividers of either kind on either of the shelves), the shelves 4 and 1 being shown without any dividers thereon for clearness. Y y

The construction with respect to the shelves can be understood from an -inspection of Figs. 1, 2, and 3. Each shelf, foreXample-the shelf 6, has depending flanges I2 and I3 at its opposite ends, bolted by bolts I4 and I5 to the end walls 33, rigidly secured thereto; and the preferred confoot 31 bent at right angles thereto and spotstruction is to provide the wall with an integral welded to the base at a number of points; and it is preferred that the Wall 36 extend longitudinally I and 2. These bolts pass through'aligned perforations in the flange and end wall, and a ver,4

tical series of such perforations |6|6 (omitted from Fig. 1) is provided in each of the end walls whereby the shelf can be adjusted to diiferent levels vertically; and these same series of holes r|'6 may be similarly utilized for the other shelves. nEach. shelf has also a depending ange |1 along its front and a depending flange I8 along its rear; and the rear-flange |8 is bolted to the back wall 3 by bolts I9, 2U, and 2|, projected through the 'flange and through three vertical series of perforations 22-22, 23--23, and 24-24 (omitted from Fig. 1) spaced correspondingly with the series of perforations |6|6 for obvious purposes. It has been found that for cabinets of usual width three series of perforations such as 22,'23, and 24 and three bolts I9, 20, and 2|' will sufce to support the shelf at the back, particularly if the bolts I4 and I5, and the series of perforations I6 are'disposed at the forward part of the shelf as illustrated. l Running along the front of each shelf is a forwardly openchannel 25 with inwardly bent flanges 2li- 26, in which cards or other labels may be placed bearing legends, numbers, or other indiciae to indicate the part number or other character of the contents of the bins opposite them, in a well known manner. It will be noted that the channel 25 as at 21 projects'a consider-- able distance above the top surfaceof the shelf and without overhangingl the shelf 'as shown for the shelf 6 in Fig. 2, to serve as an abutment along the front of the shelf for a purpose to be described.

" 'The 'channel 25 may conveniently be spot- Welded to the flange I5 at a number ofl points along its length.

Along the rear of the shelf is an angle section element oi strip 28, the two legs 29 and 3|) being'preferably at right angles to eachother. The leg-29is preferably spot-welded or otherwise atof the base 33 coextensive therewith and along its center line. At the rear of the wall 36, the foot 31 is cut back as at 38 a distance from the rearnedge 35; and the rear end of the wall 36 in tached to the shelf ange I8; and the leg 30 H overlaps'the rearward part of the shelf, and is spaced above it as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, in the nature of a lip whereby a recess or groove 3| is provided at the rear of the shelf and running along its entire length, preferably continuously, although aswill become apparent it may be discontinuous. The back or bottom of this recess or groove 31, provided by the inner facefof the angle leg 29, constitutes an abutment 32 projecting above the shelf for a purpose to be described.

A description of the dividers and their cooperation with the structure of the shelf abovedescribed, will now be given with particular reference first to the'form of the divider shown at'8, 9, and l0 in Fig. 1, the structure being best shown in Figs.

2 to 5 inclusive.

the portion thereof adjacent to the base 33 is cut or notched back as at 39; and this leaves the rear end'of the base 33 in the form of a flat transverse tongue 40. The over-all length of the base'33 between its end edges 34 and 35 is made to be the same, approximately, as the distance between the said abutment 21 at the front of the shelf, and the'sad abutment 32 at the rear of the shelf, described above.

To mount the divider, as thus described, on the shelf, it is first moved along the shelf to the desired position; the tongue 40 of the base 33 is then projected rearwardly under the angle flange 30 and into the groove 3| and into engagement with the abutment 32 at the rear or bottom of the groove; and then the forward end of the divider is depressed downwardly, the end of the tongue lllV hingingly moving on the abutment 32, until the base 33 rests upon the shelf, which causes the forward end of the base 33 to be frictionally engaged with and behind the abutment 21, and the rear end of the base to be frictionally engaged with the abutment 32,

To adjustablymove the divider to a different position along the shelf, the forward end is first raised to disengage the forward end of the divider from the abutment 21, and the tongue 40 is thereby loosened in thegroove 3|, and the divider is then moved to a new position; and then the forward end of the divider is again depressed at the new position. f

The structure of the shelf and the divider cooperate with each other as is apparent. The di- Vider wall 36 cannot tip or rock from one side to the other, because the wide tongue 40 on the divider base 33 is'trapped'within the recess or groove 3|, and if it is subjected to tipping force, the tongue engages the underside of the flange or lip 3Il.l lIlhe dividercannot become askew, or displaced angularly von the shelf', because of the transversely extensive, parallel `edges 34 and 35 at the'opposite ends of the base, engaging their abutments 21 and 32. There 'is no tendency for the' divider as a wholegto be dislodged upwardly at its forward end, and all o f the' contents of the bins'at eitherl side of the Wall 3 6 rest upon 'the base' 33 and tendy tol hold it downwardly on the shelf and in engagement between the abutments at its' opposite ends as described.'

If the side pressure on the divider tends to Shift it, this is counteracted,'partly by the'frictional engagement at the ends of the base', and partly by'virtue vof the'fact that. one 'end .will tend tolshift first andten'd to skew thev base, and this will lock the' base 'a'g'ainstits,abutmentsI by avwedging action. y, 'v

Since'the divi'dergit/allA 36lis rigidly or integrally joined to the 'hormonen "ba-sees, 'it' is'supp'drted thereby and since the basecannot tip, itis un-A necessary to provide any support for theV wall at the upper parts thereof, as has heretofore been` necessary in this art. l

Dividers of the type 8, 9, andv I and as shown` in detail for the divider 9 inFigs. 2 toA 5, will be used when narrow bins are wanted, for example when with the articles to be stocked are small, or come packed in small boxes, and when adjacent bins walls 'are to be close together.` Fig. 3 shows two dividers 9 and l0 disposed with the walls 36--36 thereof the minimum distance apart (closer than they are in Fig. 1) the distance apart being determined by the engagement of their two bases 33-33 with each other as at 4l; and the wall 36 is' short, vertically considered, `and its top slopes downwardly toward. the front, whereby the distance between the walls of the two adjacent dividers may be less than the width of a mans hand, but by means of the vertically short, sloping walls he can reach over the top of the two walls and have access into the rear of the bin with his ngers.

The upper edge 42 of the sloping wall is therefore preferably made rounded and smooth by bending over the edge as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. (This rounded edge construction is omitted from Fig. l.)

It may in some cases be desirable to have the wall'of the divider extend apprcximately all the way from one shelf to the next above it, and this has been shown for the dividers II-II of Fig. l. Such dividers may be constructed exactly like that of Figs.` 2 to 5 except for the height o f the wall; and an optionally greater height of wall has been indicated in Figs, 2, 3, and in broken line at 43. Y

Particularly when the divider Wall is high, the upper rear portion thereof, for example that indicated atv 44 in Fig. 2', rocks toward the rear wall 3 when the front end of the divider israised as described, and for this reason it may b'e desirable to have a small clearance space 45 between the divider and the rear wall; and this will ordinarily be present and suicient even when the wall is coextensive, forwardly and rearwardly, with the base 33, because both the base and the wall will then be held forwardly to provide such space by the thickness of the vertical leg 29 of the angle 2B.

The form of divider shown in perspective in Fig. 5 is the one preferred whether the bin wall 35 of the divider be made low with a sloping front as at 42 or whether it be made high as at 43 without a sloping front, but this particular form is not essential, inasmuch as the advantages of the invention may be practiced with other forms, and to make this certain, and as evidencing the scope of the invention, modifications have been shown in Figs. 6 and '1.

The divider of Fig. 7 is formed from a single piece of sheet metal folded over at the middle as at 46 to provide a bin-wall 41, and bent laterally in opposite directions into llanges 48-48, to provide a base 49 and the wall 41 is cut away or notched as at 50 near the base to leave a transverse tongue 5I, which as will be apparent is discontinuous transversely.

The divider of Fig. 6 consists of a sheet metal base 52 and a bin-wall 53 secured thereon by means of a foot or flange 54 spot-Welded to the base 52. This form shows that the Wall 53 may rise from or near one side edge of the base instead of from its center line, and shows that the tongue, in this case 55, may be provided by cut- 6 ting off the rearward end of both the' foot' 54 and the wall 53, in a plane represented by the edges 56 and 51. This form also shows that the 0ppm` site ends of the base need not be continuously rectilinear, as in the other forms, but may be discontinuous, being notched out as at 58 and 59 without detracting from the operative functions described for the base ends; and this form also shows that the forward end of the wall 53 need not extend all the way to the front of the base.

As to the recess or groove 3| extending along the back of the shelf to receive the tongue of the divider, the preferred construction is that al ready described; but it may be otherwise provided and illustrative of one of such possible modifications, there-i's shown in Fig. 8 a channel element.' 6l!Y extending along and upo'n the back side of the' shelf 6A and spotwe1ded thereto; and the tongue of the divider base as shown at El may be oit-set upwardly at 62 so as to enter the channel, if as shown, the base 53 of the divider, rests upon the shelf.

Again, the abutment for the forward end of the divider need not be, as at 21, On a part of the card holder channel such as 25 as described, but, as also shown in Fig, 8,` may be upon' a separate piece 64 spot-welded to' 'the forward flange l1 of thel shelf, and projecting'above the shelf.

My invention is accordingly not limited to It-lie exact details of construction illustrated andl deescribed. 1 Modifications and changes may be made therein. Some have been illustrated and de scribed, and other modications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art after a reading of the foregoing specification; and my invention comprehends all such changes and nitidi# fica-tions which come within the 'scope of the project upwardly beyond it without overnangmg it; a sheet metal flange element extending longitudinally along the rear of the shelf and spaced above the shelf providing a longitudinal recess; a bin divider comprising an elongated sheet metal base lying on the shelf and having opposite transverse ends; one end adjacent to the said front element and the other end being in the form of a tongue and disposed in the longitudinal recess.

2. A bin cabinet comprising a sheet metal shelf a sheet metal abutment element extending along the front of the shelf and formed to project upwardly beyond it without overhanging it; sheet metal means providing a groove running along the upper. surface of the shelf at its rear; a bin divider comprising an elongated sheet metal base on the shelf having parallel ends, and a transverse tongue at one end; the tongue engaged in the groove, and the base ends frictionally abutting upon the bottom of the groove and upon the abutment element respectively; and a sheet metal bin wall integral with the base, rising therefrom longitudinally thereof.

3. A bin cabinet comprising a sheet metal back wall and sheet metal side walls; a sheet metal shelf secured to the back wall and side walls; a sheet metal element of angle cross-section extending along the back wall and secured to the shelf, with one angle leg disposed vertically between the back wall and the shelf and the other angle leg disposed horizontally and overlapping and spaced from the top of the shelf an elongated sheet metal element, extending along the front of the shelf and formed to project upwardly beyond it without overhanging it; a bin divider comprising an velongated rectangular sheet metal base lying on the shelf, frictionally abutting at its forward end upon the elongated element and at its rearward end engaged under the horizontal angle leg and frictionally abutting upon the vertical angle leg; and a sheet metal wall rising vertically from and welded to the base and extending longitudinally thereof.

4. In a bin-cabinet construction, upright cabinet side walls; an elongated shelf supported therebetween; forward abutment means disposed at a forward portion of the shelf and extending over the major part of the length of the shelf and projecting upwardly above the shelf without overhanging it; rearward abutment means disposed at a rearward portion of the shelf and extending over the major part of the length of the shelf and projecting upwardly above the shelf; and the forward and rearward abutment means being equally spaced apart along the shelf; lip means disposed at a rearward portion of the shelf and extending over the major portion of the length of the shelf and spaced above the shelf and overhanging the rearward portion of the shelf forwardly of the rearward abutment means; a bin divider comprising a base supported upon the upper side of the shelf and having a bin wall rising from the base; the base having a rear portion formed to be received under the lip means; the base having opposite rear and front ends spaced apart to simultaneously frictionally engage the two said abutment means to positionally x the base on the shelf longitudi nally thereof; the said rear portion of the base being of substantial extent longitudinally of the shelf and by its engagement with the under side of the overhanging lip means substantially restraining the base from rocking on the shelf; the base being releasable from its fixed position by manually lifting the front end of the base out of frictional engagement with the forward abutment meansland concurrently hingingly moving the base at its rear end upon the rearward abutment means; the basewhen released being movable along the shelf longitudinally by minute increments of movement to other positions and in each of said positions being xable positionally by manually moving the forward end of the base downwardly and hingingly moving the base rear end upon the rearward abutment means to effect said frictional engagement of its ends.

5. The bin-cabinet construction described in claim 4 and in which the front end of the base is also of substantial extent longitudinally of the shelf; and a portion of the rear end of the base in engagement with the rearward abutment means is formed parallel to a portion of the front end of the base in engagement with the forward abutment means, to prevent the base from taking up skewed positions on the shelf.

. WALTER R. HUGHES.

REFERENCES CITED rThe following references are of record in the file of this patent:v

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 302,624 Dickson July 29, 1884 575,294 Borden Jan. 12, 1897 1,038,038 Wege Sept. l0, 1912 1,317,589 Noziska Sept. 30, 1919 1,450,191 Sturm Apr. 3, 1923 1,508,610 OConnor Sept. 16, 1924 1,560,436 Staples Nov. 3, 1925 1,675,269 Hine June 26, 1928 1,676,910 Levene July 10, 1928 2,302,236 Mayne Nov. 17, 1942 2,308,629 Rosenberg Jan. 19, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 223,839 Great Britain Oct. 30, 1924 

